Party-line ringing-key.



A. J. CARTER.

PARTY LINE RINGING KEY.

APPLICATION rlLEn AUG. 27, 1913.

1,099,164. PatemedJune 9, 1914. 4

HUM-"275g 'm'anipu ated if desire UNITED `PA".-FENI OFFICE. i

"KIWA .1. curar., or cmcaaofILnINols ssIoNon fro xnLLoGe swmonnom a ,SUPPLY COMPANY, or cmcaeo, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINoIs.

.Y Iman-LINE nINtiINa-xiir.

s'eelcation of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1914.

To all whom it may concern A Be it known that I, ALvA J. CARTER, a citizen of the United States of America, iresiding at Chicago, in the county o f Cook iandState of Illinois, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in PartylLine Ringing-Keys, of which the following a specification. My invention relates to party line ringlng keys, and more particularly to those party ,line ringing kys as used for instance 1n nnection with telephone 'switchboards i improved key is of the indicating type, hv'lvhich I mean that the key has a pluiliality of-actuating devices so arranged that ineens in connection with the key will indi- Whieli of the devices had been last actuated. In keys of this general type the pluralit of actuatin devices may be so that all of them ref main in an indicating position, so that the operator when using the key need only cause :i slight further' movement of any particular actuating device to connect the ringing cur- 'rent through the key. The keys are some` finies manipulated in this ivay by the operst-ors in order to reduce the amount of Work necessary during the ringing opera- "tion, hut it is desirable that such manipulation he prevented in order that that partici]- lar device remain in an indicati position which has heen last actuated. T` this end rnv` invention provides positive 'means hy -vvhieh even though the key is so manipulated thatfall the actuating means are in an indicating 4position the further actuation of one device into ringing position will posi` devices. In the particular key herein s own the actuating devices take the form of plungers. 0i course my invention is not so limited. l will, however, desorihe this particular form which my invention may take hy referring more. particularly to the aecompanying drawings, illustrating the same, in Which- Figure 1 is a side view of the key conJ structed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 shows the`key with one plunger depressed: Fig, fl is un cud view thereof. and Fig. 4 is a top view thereof. y

My improved key consists the face plate 1. to which hy means of studs Q and 3 an insulating plate 4 held in place hetiveen and plates The insulating bridge 4 carries suitable ringin spring oom hlnations 6 which are adapter to be actuated. by insulating buttons 7, 8, 9 and 10, carried by plungers 1.1, 12, 13, and 14. These plungers are reciprocably mounted in the plate 1, and also have projecting pins 1.5 by means of which they are confined to their osclllatin position by the insulatin bridge 4. Suite le springs 16 tend to ho d these plungers in their uppermost osition. The plungers are also provided with sections 17 or stops having herein the general form of truncated cones. These truncated cones are used for two purposes. First, to release other .plungers that are in an indicating osition, and secondly, to hold the articu ar plunger used in its indicating position. To accomplish this I provide two slidin plates 18 and 19 respectively, which wi l slide transversely of the framework, being mounted Within grooves Q0 and 21 provided therefor in the struts 2 and 3. These plates 18 and 19 each have openings .2:2-22 therein, shown in full lines in tivo plates in Fig. 1, and shown in dotted lines in the remainin `figures, which openings 22 converge tower the median line of said plates as clearly apparent from the figures. These two plates 18 and 19 are held together by means of a bridge 23 so that these plates move in unison. The plate 19 also actuates suitable controlling springs :'24 every time either one of the plungers is depressed into rin fng position, as shown in Fig. 2? Now w enover a plunger. sav the plunger 14 for instance, is pressed downwardly into osition shown in Fig. Q it will move the. p ates 18 and 19 to the right io actuate the spring coinhiuaiion Q4 and also the spring com-hination Now when this plunger 14 is released it comes hack into the indicating position shown in Fig. l. whereby the lug 17 rests against the lower face of the plate 18. Now when any other plunger is depressed itmoves the plates to the right and releases the plunger 14. Now it is readily coneeirahle that all four plungers 11. 1Q, 13 and 14 can he so manipulated h v heilig pushed flownwardlj.' simultaneously that all occupy the position of 4the plunger 14 of Fig. 1. Under these conditions ii the plates 18 and 19 were not fastened together the movement` of any plunger into ringing' position would merely fifftuate the plaie 1S) thereby operating the :lr-sind 'eitffisiiri'ne com hination (i, and also the spring combination 34. but theplate 18 not being movable under these assumed conditions none of the other plungers would he released. ln my present structure, however, I hare these two plates firmly fastened together by the bridge 23 so that should the plungers all occupy the position shown for `the plunger 14 in Fig. 1, then if any plunger is further actuated into ringing position. a` move` ment of the plate 19 to the right will also move the plate 18 to the right. thereby releasing thse keys not heilig at. that, time operated. By thus making tho plates 18 and 19 movable together the indicating feature of the kev is preserved even though the plungers have been previously so manipulated as to place them all in an indicating position. The key thus maintains its indicating feature which is the important feature desired in the operation ot a telephone. exchange. As before stated operators try to manipulate keys of this kind so as to reduce the actual work necessary to rall the party and to this end try to manipulate the key into the hypothetical position assumed in the foregoing description.

t must, of course. he rememlwred that the spring combination -l must he actuated to complete the ringing ril-cuit and in order to aetuate this springr combination 2l the plattl 19 must he positively mined into snth position as Will secure release of thtI hitherto dnpressed plungers.

From what hasbeen dosrrihotl it is thought that the nature ot' my invention will he entirely clear and that its advantages will he readily apparent.

lt will also readily appear that thtx speritir structure shown herein whihserving for illustrative purposes does not limit the st-ope of the invention as modifications ran he readily made without departingr from the spirit of the invention Having. however, thus described one form which the invention may take. what l olaim as new and desire to secure hi lirttnrs liatent is:

l. A party line ringingr her haring a phirality of actuating deviros. switrhing nurhanism under the control of earh deviri. and further switching merhanism mntrollable h r either device, said derives haring a noimal position, a circuit controllingr position and an intermediater position. and moans rontrollalile hv a deviro when ntoraltlo from an intermediate position to .1 rirrnit ronY trolling position to restore to normal ilotion :ill other artnating dornn-z not in nor nml position.

L. pnrtjv limA ringingr hor hai nog a plu mounted to permit mover'mnt from'fa normal to a switch controlling position. means for holding an actuated device in an inter mediate position, and means provided for said devices to control said first aforesaid means to release an)v held devices, when n device is moved from an intermediate position to a switch controlling position.

3. A party line ringing key having a plurality of actuating devices, switch mechanism under the control ot each device, said devices being movably mounted to permit movement from a normal to a switch controlling position, means for holding an artnated device in an intermediate position1 and means provided for said devices to control said first aforesaid means to release any held devices, when a device is moved from an intermediate position to a switch controlling position.

4. A party line ringing key having a pluralityy of plnngers` switch mechanism under the control of each plunger, further switch mechanism controllable by either plunger, said plungers being mounted so as to be movable from a normal to a switch controlling position, means t'or holding an actuated plunger in an intermediate position, und means controlled by each plunger to control said hrst aforesaid means to release anyY intermediatelr held plungers, when a plunger is moved trom an intermediate to a switch eontrtiilling position. Y

z3. A. party line ringing hey having a plurality of [.ilnngers., .-.witrli mechanism under the rontrol ot meh plunger. further switch mechanism rontrollahhhr either plunger, said plungersbeing mounted so as to he mov- Yable from a, normal to a switch controlling position, a reeiprot-ator v plate for holdingr an actuated plunger in au intermediate position, and means controlled liv each plunger to control said first aforesaid reciproratorv plate, to release :in v intermetiiately held plungers, when a plunger is moved from an intermediate to a switch controlling position ti'. A party line ringing hey having a plurality of plungers` switrh mechanism under the control of each plunger, further switch mechanism controllahhi h v either plunger. said plungers heiinrinounted so :r-y to he movable from a normal to n switch controlling position` a ii-cipiocatttry plate for holding an actuated plunger in an intermediate position. and a'seffond rotiproratory plate rontrolh-d lo' nach plunger to rontrol said first atoresaid itriprowitor\' plate. to release :inv

intornnvliatolr hold plnngors. when a plonger is inorrd trom :in intermediate to :i

, svritth rontrolltng pti-:tion

ruliti ol' :utnating deriro-i` with intatta y.1r-7m under the 'ontiol ot non lrrirtgi iurther swilrh nievhani-in rontrollahli lo.' wither device, said deviitrlining morxhli` T. partiv lino. ringing ltev huring a pluv ralitj: of pIungei-, ,snirh mwhanism under the rontrol ot nach plungerA further .-uitrh mechanism tontrollalilo lo* either plunger. said plungers living mounted so as to he iit ' said `movable from a normal to a switch con- Aate to a switch controlling position. said plungers each havingY a conical projection to `control said second reciprocatoryv plate.

8. A party line ringing key having a plurality of plungers, switch mechanism under the control of each plunger, further switch 5 mechanism controllable by either plunger, lungers being mounted so as t'o be Inova le from a normal to a switch controlling position, a reciprocatory plate for holding an actuated plunger in an intermediate position, and a second reciprocatory plate controlled by each plunger to control said first aforesaid reciprocatory late, to re lease any interlnediately held p ungers when a plunger is moved from an intermediate to a Switch controlling position, said plungers each having a conical projection to control said second reciprocatory plate. and said reciprocatory plates being fastened together. Signed by me at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, in the presence of two witnesses.

ALVA J. CARTER.

Witnesses:

GEoneE E. MUELLEH, B. OBRIEN.

ln te n t 'Qisdamer filed Januagy 20, 1915, by the assignee lfd/agg SMIC/board 'und SuppZg/Vl nCmnjcuz-y.

1 2, a, ,md 5 of Said parent. Qa'zdt, Jauudrylg', 1.9v`16'.] 

